CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Worth
I knew he would come, although I went out of my way to avoid inviting him. He had come to inspect my kingdom, to level arrogant disdain over what I had built. He was in for an even bigger surprise. Auggie was at my side and she was wearing my engagement ring.
He looked me straight in the eye, nodded and then wandered off to look around. Mother hugged me and I introduced her to Auggie. Mother’s eye caught the huge ring on Auggie’s left hand and she gave Auggie an even bigger hug. She was smiling and enjoying herself.
Father had completed his tour and was approaching. Mother intercepted him, whispered in his ear and his eyes immediately went to Auggie’s hand. Auggie smiled, her eyes welcoming but Father looked her over and walked out the door. Mother was confused, embarrassed and shrugged at me as she followed him out. I wanted to wring his neck.
How dare he ignore Auggie! How dare he ruin our special night. I fought to keep control of my emotions, looking down at Auggie and seeing a deep sadness in her eyes. For some reason, she didn’t seem surprised, however. There was an understanding in her eyes and a sympathy for me. I hugged her and moved on to greet other guests. I would deal with my father later.
The night turned out to be an overwhelming success. We received extensive press coverage from not only the local media but from health, mind and body publications who wanted to cover a story of a clinic that combined so many therapies in one location. The appointment book was instantly filled and the ambiance was one of happiness and good health, even without treatment. I was content. I had Auggie and I had my life’s dream. My father could go to hell.
Auggie was quiet as we left after the grand opening. Aside from some staff who were cleaning up, the guests had all departed. “You didn’t know he was coming?” she asked me, holding my hand as we walked through the parking lot.
“I hoped he wouldn’t hear about it, but knew it was an unreasonable hope.”
“What do you want to do about it?” Her eyes were large and questioning.
“I need to have a face down with him,” I told her.
“When?”
“Why not right now?” I said and tucked her into the passenger seat and climbed behind the steering wheel, slamming my door.
There was an occasional snowflake but the roads were otherwise clear as we headed to the farm. When we arrived, the house was still brightly lit. I knew he’d be up. He never went to bed early.
“Do you want to come in?” I asked Auggie.
“Of course. If it affects you, it affects me,” she told me, squeezing my hand.
“Get ready for anything,” I cautioned her and we knocked at the door before entering.
Father was sitting in his study, the door opened and the light from his desk lamp spilling onto the woven carpet. There was a decanter of bourbon on the desk before him. Mother came down from upstairs and frowned at me, shaking her head to indicate this wasn’t a good time. I smiled, patted her hand and pushed past her.
He looked up as we entered. “You may as well sit down,” he said, eyeing Auggie as she took the matching wingback to mine. “I understand that congratulations are in order,” he growled, taking a swig from his glass. “You drink?” he held a glass out toward Auggie but she shook her head. He started to offer it to me and changed his mind, slamming it down on his desk. “What in the hell is the matter with you, boy?” he shouted, causing Auggie to jump and I heard Mother gasp behind me.
“There are ladies present,” I pointed out but it didn’t seem to affect his disposition one way or another.
“They can leave if they can’t take it,” was his surly response. He puffed his cigar and tapped the ashes onto the surface of his hand-carved cherry desk. “So, what the hell do you want? My congratulations? My permission? Pretty damned sure you’re not here for that,” he barked.
“We aren’t here for anything other than to clear the air,” I said quietly.
“Save the shrink crap, Worth. That shit won’t work with me,” he snapped.
“What will work, Father? I’ve spent my life trying to please you and seem to always fall short. You’ve made my life a hell. I accept responsibility for the drinking and the carousing, but you have to man up and tell me just what the hell is so wrong with me. The time has come and the women in our lives are standing by. I want them to hear it from your lips.”
“Hear what from my lips, damn you! You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Let it lie, Worth. Let it lie.”
“That’s the whole problem, Father. It has been nothing but a lie, all these years. Tell Mother why you hate me. Let Auggie know, now, before she marries me and still has a chance to get away. Tell the damned truth for once in your life!” I shouted, louder than I realized.
“Damn you, Worth! Damn you to hell! You want to hear it? Okay, then here it is. It was you who should have died. You who should have rolled that car in one of your drunken races, but no…. you have the devil guarding you, don’t you, boy?”
“Why should it have been me?” I snarled. I was a rabid dog.
“Because!” he shouted, pounding the desk. “Linc was the better man. He had the best of me in him! The best of me and the best… the best…” his voice halted.
“The best of whom, Father?”
“The best of her damned mother!” he roared, pointing at Auggie.
I’d known it, of course. I’d finally put together the connection of the red-haired Jezebel, who had reacted so strongly to meeting me along with Auggie’s discovery of the photos in the album. I had suspected he was hiding something all these years and when I realized that his hatred was not inspired by anything I’d done, but instead by what had happened to Linc, it all clicked.
I heard a loud thump behind me and looked around the wing chair to see Mother had fainted. Father just sat at his desk, puffing his cigar and looking at her. I was on my feet, as was Auggie, and I took her vital signs. She had just passed out from the shock. I lifted her and carried her upstairs to her room. She began to come to and as the memory of what she’d just heard began to flood back, she started crying.
I sat with Mother for some time and Auggie found her night things. I found a vial of sleeping pills in her nightstand and gave her one, pocketing the rest just in case. I left as Auggie helped her change. She waited until Mother fell asleep and then joined me downstairs.
“You’ve made a pretty fine mess of things,” Father said to me.
“Does Auggie’s mother know that Linc was her son?” I asked quietly.
“No, nobody knew. I knew when she disappeared what had happened and had her tracked to her aunt’s. When she put Linc up for adoption at birth, my agent was there. I told your mother he was the son of a friend who had been killed in a car accident and had the adoption papers to prove it. I didn’t need them. He was already my son,” he blurted the story, anger, and a deep, depressed pain coloring his words.
I looked at Auggie. With Mother’s fainting, I’d not had a chance to deal with her and the shock she must be feeling. She seemed nonplussed. I guessed. “You knew, didn’t you, darling?” I asked her.
She shifted in her chair. “I knew about their affair but have been trying to track the resulting child. Now I know. She rose to her feet and walked toward Father’s desk. She leaned forward, picking up the decanter and the glass of bourbon, pouring herself a full glass. Setting the decanter down, she looked at Father, who was watching her. “You’re a bastard,” she commented quietly and threw the bourbon into his face. She set the glass down, looked at me and said, “I’ll be in the car,” as she passed me on her way out of the house.
I stood, looking at the gray-haired, corpulent fraud before me. “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” I said in a level voice and followed Auggie out of the house.
She had the Escalade running and soft classical music playing. The glow from the dash lit her features and I could see big tears running down her cheeks.
I put my arms around her and said, “I’m sorry you had to witness that, but that was the best way to get it over with. Let’s put it behind us and start our own life now.”
“I need to tell you something,” she said quietly.
“Go ahead,” I urged her.
“I knew about Mother and your father, but I didn’t know about Linc. Mrs. Jessup told me they’d had an affair and that Mother had disappeared for the winter, supposedly to Florida. I didn’t have an exact year and wasn’t sure what happened to the child who everyone suspected she was off having. I stole your toothbrush and that document I asked you to sign granted your permission to have your DNA tested and compared to mine. I had to make sure we weren’t of the same blood before I could be with you. I was in hell, Worth… in hell. It’s why I was avoiding you. I just found out two days ago that there was no connection. I’m sorry for misleading you, but I needed to know, obviously, and didn’t want to expose anyone’s secrets.”
Worth nodded, considering the logic of her explanation. “I noticed my toothbrush was gone and thought it had fallen in the trash and been thrown out. I knew there was some reason you were avoiding me, Auggie, but I let my jealousy lead me to think it was Knotts.”
She shook her head. “It’s always been you, Worth. I loved you from the moment I walked into your office.”
I lifted her face and kissed her softly and then harder as she molded herself to my chest. There was redemption in her clinging. She was suffering the same pain I was going through and yet the two of us were the only comfort either of us could have. “I love you, Auggie,” I said and she nodded.
“I love you, Worth,” she returned and I kissed her again.
“Will you tell your mother?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “I won’t. She’s had her own version of hell all these years. If she knew her son had only been a few miles away and then was killed, it would be too cruel. Not just for her, but mostly for Dad.”
“I think you’re right and if she finds out, it won’t be from either of us. At least we both know why they’ve been the parents they’ve been… and it had nothing to do with either of us. Linc is gone so there are no ties between them.”
“Let’s go home,” Auggie suggested and I agreed, putting the vehicle into drive and leaving the farm for what might very well turn out to be the last time.